Doubt
by xxPennyworth
Summary: A short conversation between Thor and Loki during the events of 'The Avengers'.


Loki, the bastard son, the scorned prince of Asgard, the god of mischief watched the glass before his lips fog and fade, fog and fade, with his slow, steady breath. His forehead rested against the cool glass of his containment unit on S.H.I.E.L.D's stupid little heli-carrier. He sighed over dramatically, sashaying to the bench in the back of the unit and elegantly sitting down on it, proceeding to not so elegantly flop onto his stomach and beat his forehead on the cool white-painted metal.

"Only you, brother." Loki sighed, turning so his cheek rested on the bench. He'd seen his brother's reflection on the glass wall, slightly distorted by the fact his containment was circular. "Only you would try, after so much failure, to sneak up on me." The thin man slowly stood, dusting himself off, mostly to create a menacing dramatic air, then to actually get dust off himself.

Thor, the favored son, the one day king of Asgard, the god of thunder, watched his brother through the glass. His brother. Thor seemed to be the only person who did not care in the slightest that Loki was in fact the son of the villainous Laufey. Loki would always be his brother first. No matter what he did. But Thor couldn't help but wonder why. Why all of this madness and chaos... Sure. Loki was the god of mischief... but this was out of hand.

This was no longer purely mischief.

"You look well brother." Thor said. His voice was deep, noble, and it flowed like silken honey from his well chiseled lips. He awkwardly ran a meaty hand through his golden locks, eying his brother, who was pacing slowly back and forth in his confinement.

"Skip the pleasantries, brother." Loki snapped, stopping for a moment, before he resumed his slow and steady gait. His voice varied much from his adoptive brother's. Loki's voice was sharp, like a razor, but... you couldn't help but let his words into your mind, twist your thoughts, influence your actions. He truly had a silver tongue. His silver tongue, however, was a little less skilled at the moment. He was tired, bored, anxious, and over all not in a very good mood. "I know you have come for something. And let's face it. I always look well."

Thor chuckled goodheartedly, walking to the glass wall of his brother's prison.

"Brother..." Thor sighed. "Brother, brother, brother. What a hole you've dug for yourself." He mused. Loki rolled his eyes as he paced. "But, ah, I know you. You always have a plan. I fear... you will not be here long."

"Than allow me to fuel your nightmares, brother." Loki hissed, the venom practically dripping from his words as he continued to walk. "Let me go."

"Let you go?" Thor chuckled again. "No, no, you've shown me that I can't trust you. You truly are what they say, are you not? You are the god of lies? Of mischief? No, no. I believe it's better for you to stay," He tapped the glass. "in there."

"Have you come to mock me, brother?" The irritation was evident on the man's face as he stopped dead center of his cage to look at his brother.

"Mock you? No, brother, not to mock you. To scorn you, maybe."

"What are you now? My father? You're surprisingly small and not blue for that, brother." Loki barked.

"You were raised with me! As my brother! As my friend! By Odin! He saved you when you were dying! You are his son! You are my brother! Laufey was no sort of father to you!"

"But does it matter! He is my father! My REAL father! One that I'm sure would have given me the sunlight I was deprived of by spending my life WALKING IN YOUR SHADOW!" Loki's voice was a dangerous boom to rival the thunder called down by Mjolnir.

"Why, brother? Why must you do this?" Thor said in a softer, caring tone, pressing his hand to the cool glass of the container. "Why won't you just give it up? Come home, brother. Face justice for what you've done, then live with us. Stay with us. This dream, this twisted, deluded, poisonous dream of yours, it will serve as your end."

"Then we shall live together once again in Valhalla." Loki hissed, stalking to the glass.

"Brother-"

"Why? Why, Thor, you would like to know why?" Loki began. Thor nodded slowly, sea blue eyes locked on Loki's snake scale green ones. "Because. I am the rightful king of Asgard. I am the good son. I am every bit as wonderful as Odin deludes you to be! I am BETTER." He said. "If this is what I have to do to make you see, then I shall open your eyes." Thor blinked pityingly at his brother.

"Even if Odin never saw you as even good enough to be a king's servant..." Thor said turning around. "I always saw you as my equal. You were soft and gentle with words, words that could lead the masses to throw war out entirely. You were my brother. You are my brother. And I will always love you."

Loki watched his brother leave. Once he was gone, Loki cried out for no reason, slamming his fist into one of the thick glass walls and not even stopping to think of the blood curdling cracking noise of the blood that now smeared down the glass. The pain coursing up his arm served as a mind numbing distraction as he casually laid on his back on the bench. He stared blankly at the ceiling. He wasn't exactly sure when he drifted into his nightmarish sleep, but he did know that this was the first time he'd begun to doubt the very plans he had been so sure of mere minutes before.


End file.
